Pubdate: Thu, 03 Sep 2015
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2015 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Will Luzier
Note: Will Luzier, a former assistant attorney general and executive 
director of the Massachusetts Interagency Council on Substance Abuse 
and Prevention, is campaign manager of the Campaign to Regulate 
Marijuana Like Alcohol in Massachusetts.

MASS. NEEDS A SENSIBLE MARIJUANA POLICY

My first run-in with marijuana prohibition came in 1970, when I was 
arrested for possession of less than one-quarter ounce. Fortunately, 
my case was dismissed because the officer conducted an illegal search.

I often wonder where I would be if I had not been so lucky. Would I 
have been admitted to the bar? Hired as an assistant attorney 
general? Appointed as director of a state council on substance abuse 
and prevention?

Marijuana arrests turn countless lives upside down every year. I 
escaped my encounter unscathed, but it had a lasting impact on how I 
view this issue.

I could not (and still cannot) believe we have laws punishing adults 
simply for consuming a substance less harmful than alcohol. Marijuana 
is certainly not harmless, but it is undeniably less addictive than 
alcohol, less damaging to the body, and less likely to contribute to 
violence, according to several studies.

Law enforcement officials have more important things to do than 
enforcing failed marijuana laws. In addition, the laws are 
hypocritical, unpopular, and inconsistently applied - 
African-Americans in Massachusetts are nearly four times more likely 
to be cited for marijuana possession than whites, despite statistics 
that show similar use patterns.

Massachusetts voters took a significant step forward in 2008 when 
they chose fines over criminal penalties for small amounts of 
marijuana. But could you imagine being cited and fined for possessing 
a bottle of wine or a six-pack?

Additionally, decriminalization didn't address the biggest problem 
with prohibition: the illicit market. Forcing sales underground 
ensures that criminals control the product instead of authorities. As 
a result, marijuana is sold by street dealers who don't ask for IDs 
and often expose consumers to more harmful illegal substances.

Enough is enough.

An initiative on the November 2016 ballot would end marijuana 
prohibition in Massachusetts and replace it with a system that taxes 
and regulates marijuana like alcohol. The attorney general's office 
certified our petition this week.

The measure would allow adults 21 and older to possess limited 
amounts of marijuana and grow a limited number of marijuana plants in 
their homes, similar to home-brewing. It would remain illegal to use 
marijuana in public or drive under the influence, and it would not 
affect employers' rights to develop workplace marijuana policies.

The measure would establish a regulated system of licensed marijuana 
businesses that test, label, and package products appropriately, and 
sell them only to customers with proof of age. A state commission 
(similar to the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission) would create 
and enforce provisions governing cultivation, sale, product 
manufacturing, and testing, and cities and towns would have the 
ability to regulate or prohibit marijuana establishments. Marijuana 
sales would be subject to a 3.75 percent state excise tax (in 
addition to standard sales tax), and localities would be allowed to 
levy an additional tax of up to 2 percent.

This is a large and complex policy shift. But it's an important one, 
and long overdue. We know it can be done. Colorado and Washington 
have successfully implemented similar initiatives, and Alaska and 
Oregon are on track to do the same.

Massachusetts is a sensible state, and it deserves a sensible marijuana policy.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom